Rated as Microsoft’s flagship database product the SQL Server 2014 offers break-through performance for all mission critical applications. With data warehousing, analytics and business intelligence features, SQL Server 2014 can be deployed both on-premises and in the cloud – and is the most sought after platform for all types of organisations.

In-memory OLTP that enhances performance by 30-fold

SQL Server 2014 is equipped with its new In-memory OLTP engine that offers high performance and low latency data access. The new concurrency control mechanism when combined with the algorithms offer optimized storage for resident data. Lock free design works with the new query processing engine to drive up the performance incredibly.

Cloud based Power BI leverages the capabilities of Office 365 and Excel applications

The Power BI is a cloud based BI solution lets users share and access Excel reports from anywhere and from any device. Its ability to work with other applications like Office 365 enables better data navigation and visualization.

New data tools that drives business intelligence

SQL Server 2014 supports the BI tool SSDT-BI which can be used to build SQL Server Analysis Services Model. Users can take advantage of this model to generate analytically valuable reports. The SSDT-BI is based on Microsoft Visual Studio 2012.

Enhanced Data Visualization

The PowerView feature of SQL Server 2014 can be combined with the multi-dimensional OLAP cubes to create a wide variety of data visualization solutions. Data can be presented in the form of bubble charts, matrices and even as geographical maps. Additionally the PowerView feature can be used in combination with DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) to support queries.

Data Encryption for better safety

The backup data in SQL Server 2014 is encrypted using numerous algorithms such as Triple DES, AES 256, and AES 128 and so on. A certificate or an asymmetric key must be used to take up the encryption process in SQL Server 2014.

Integration with Microsoft Azure offers smart caching and easier transfer of data from the cloud

The ability to be integrated with Azure blob storage enables retrieval of database files by using the virtual network driver and increases the availability of these files between different instances of the SQL Server by manifold. This feature that was available with SQL Server 2012 has been further enhanced in the newer version.

The clustered column store is an updateable index that acts as the most suitable feature for handling data warehousing queries efficiently. The index is primarily an in-memory storage technology that works well when treated with queries that require scanning of the entire table instead of a smaller portion.

Enhanced AlwaysOn integration offers easier disaster recovery

In SQL Server 2014, the AlwaysOn integration feature has been expanded by increasing the number of secondary replicas from four to eight. As a result, even during the absence of primary replicas, the read-only secondary replicas become readily available, thus paving way for asynchronous availability group replicas for better disaster recovery.

Benefits of SQL Server 2014

Better management of big data

In today’s business world, organisations are expanding and the importance of business-critical data is growing. The scalable SQL Server 2014 database engine is designed to handle huge volumes of data and perform the required business analysis using this data.

Supports the business infrastructure efficiently

SQL Server 2014 maximizes the performance of the user-facing systems and the decision support systems and enables the organisation to build critical applications while minimizing the risks and operational complexities.

Higher performance in heavy OLTP workloads

The SSD integration capability of the SQL Server 2014 enables the use of SSD storage to expand into the SQL Server’s buffer pool. Thisadditional feature offers higher performance of the system by using high-speed non-volatile RAM. This in turn enhances the performance for heavy OLTP workloads.